The subject matter described and/or illustrated herein relates generally to card edge connectors.
Computers and servers use numerous types of electronic modules, such as processor and memory modules (e.g. Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), or Extended Data Out Random Access Memory (EDO RAM), and the like). The memory modules are produced in a number of formats such as, for example, Single In-line Memory Modules (SIMM's), Dual In-line Memory Modules (DIMM's), Small Outline DIMM's (SODIMM's), Fully Buffered DIMM's, and the like. The electronic modules may be installed in card edge connectors that are mounted on a motherboard or other system board.
At least some card edge connectors include both power and signal contacts for establishing both electrical power and electrical signal paths between the electronic module and the motherboard or other system board. To accommodate the increasing amount of functionality provided by electronic devices, it may be desirable to increase the electrical power carrying capability of a card edge connector. For example, the power carrying capability may be increased by the number and/or size of the power contacts of the card edge connector. But, because of the ongoing trend toward smaller electronic devices, it is desired to increase the power carrying capability of a card edge connector without increasing a size of the connector. However, the signal contacts of the card edge connector need to be more densely arranged, or one or more signal contacts needs to be eliminated, to accommodate the increased number and/or size of the power contacts without increasing the size of the connector. Eliminating signal contacts is disadvantageous because the card edge connector will have a decreased signal carrying capacity. Increasing the density of the signal contacts is also not without disadvantages. For example, the increased density of the signal contacts may cause adjacent signal contacts to electrically interfere with each other within the card edge connector. Moreover, and for example, the increased density of the signal contacts of the card edge connector increases the density of contact pads on the electronic module that mates with the connector, and increases the density of the contact pads on the motherboard or other system board to which the connector mounts. The increased density of the contact pads may cause adjacent contact pads to electrically interfere with each other, and/or may cause solder bridging between adjacent contact pads that results in an electrical short.
There is a need for a card edge connector that accommodates a high density of contacts without increasing the size of the connector or degrading electrical performance.